16 year old Cooper broke his neck and damaged his spinal cord. The paralysis is sadly permanent, please help Cooper.
Auckland
On Tuesday my friends beautiful son, Cooper broke his neck and damaged his spinal cord. The paralysis is permanent from the neck down. Vertebrae c3 c4 and c5 affected. He is on life support and it is critical. Please help him.
Cooper is from Tauranga and had just moved to Whanganui a week ago, and he is now in Christchurch Intensive Care Unit. This is an incredibly tough time for Kim, Dad Roger and siblings Geordie, Kelly and Abby. At this early stage it is uncertain to say exactly what the outcome will be, but it will involve months spent in the Burwood Spinal unit. Hopefully his usual exuberance and zest for life will help him on this long journey ahead.
I am a family friend who is trying to spread the word to raise as much money as we can to support this young man who is still a boy.
These funds will be used to ease some of the financial stress towards flights and expenses. The family is all from the North island and to assist with the help and care that Cooper will now need.
I should be dead: Cooper Snowdon is defying odds after he broke his neck mountain biking 18 January 2018
I should be dead: Cooper Snowdon is defying odds after he broke his neck mountain biking
By: Amy Wiggins
Please see article for photos. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11958036
Article date: 27 Dec, 2017 5:00am
This week, the Herald is speaking to Kiwis who have survived illnesses, accidents and crimes that almost killed them, as part of our I Should be Dead series.
In the week after Cooper Snowdon broke his neck doctors told his family he would either die or be reliant on a ventilator for the rest of his life.
Nine months later, the tough teen is proving them wrong.
The 16-year-old was mountain biking with his older brother Geordie at Kowhai Park in Whanganui on March 21 when he went over a jump, landed on his head and broke his neck.
He was airlifted to Christchurch hospital where he was in a coma for two weeks and spent 69 days on life support.
Cooper is paralysed from the neck down but can breathe, eat and talk on his own and is making the most of life back home in Whanganui.
He had already bought a V8 ute for him and his brother to work on since getting home in August, Mum Kim Ostern said.
Instead of using the hoist to lift the engine, the pair used it to hoist Cooper over the motor so he could instruct Geordie about what he wanted done, Ostern said.
While Cooper can't move his fingers, he could lift his right arm up to his face and the family were hopeful he might regain some more movement in it to help him become more independent.
"He's doing so much more than they ever said he would do," she said.
In hospital he learnt to use a computer mouse which he could operate with his head to allow him to use Facebook and watch Netflix.
His first Facebook post since the accident came in late May when he used the mouse to type two simple words: "I'm back".
Back in Whanganui, where he moved to from Tauranga just days before the accident, 20-year-old Geordie is Cooper's carer and tries to make life as normal as possible for him.
"Like a typical 16-year-old he doesn't like to hang out with his mum," Ostern laughed.
While there were hard times, Cooper was getting on with life and was already looking to the future.
He has told his mum he wants to do a mouth painting course.
Ostern said she was amazed by all the support she and the family had received both through Givealittle, where almost $24,000 was raised, and by the team working with Cooper to help him recover.
But most of all, Ostern said she was proud of how both her boys were handling the situation and amazed by Cooper's resilience and attitude towards life.
"I can't even believe anyone can think about living life how he is," she said. "He's really strong. He's an amazing, amazing young character."
Throughout it all, Cooper had done things his way, Ostern said.
Doctors did not think he would breathe on his own again, but he did. They thought he would need therapy to learn to speak again, he didn't.
The family was now working toward giving Cooper as much independence as possible, Ostern said.
"We're just focusing on doing things he loves to do. We're just so thankful to have Cooper. He's an amazing young guy. He's going to do amazing things. Watch this space.
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